Exclusively serving clients in arts and entertainment for over 35 years.

Consistently named "Most Frequently Recommended" as an entertainment lawyer in the Canadian legal directory "LEXPERT" (www.lexpert.ca)

Listed in the 2007 & 2010 Special Report of "The Best Lawyers in Canada" in the Entertainment Law category under Music.

Listed in the 2011 edition of "The Best Lawyers In Canada" in the practice area of Entertainment Law.

The leading writer on legal aspects of Canadian music law and visual arts

Author and editor of "Musicians and the Law in Canada"

Co-author of "Artists’ Contracts: Agreements for Visual and Media Artists"

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Music Business

Paul has counseled clients including major music publishers, large independent record companies and gold and platinum recording artists in all aspects of the music business. He has worked on domestic and international licensing and distribution contracts in such countries as the United States, Japan, Germany, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, United Kingdom and Taiwan.

Visual Arts

He has advised visual artists, art galleries and arts associations on contract and copyright matters, including large public commission contracts for venues such as the Rogers Centre and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Paul has also assisted in the establishment of and provided ongoing legal advice for copyright collectives in the visual art field.

Corporate

His extensive corporate law expertise includes drafting and advising clients with respect to partnership agreements, incorporation and shareholder agreements.

Trade Mark

Paul has been practicing in the area of trade-mark law and has been a registered trade-mark agent since 1986. He actively assists the search, registration and protection of the firm’s clients’ trade-marks primarily in Canada, but also in the United States, the EEC, Japan, Hong Kong, Mexico and in the UK, for example. He administers the firm’s substantial international trade-mark portfolio and directs, oversees and co-ordinates our network of international trade-mark agents.

Legal Writing

Paul has two ground breaking legal texts to his credit: "Musicians and the Law in Canada", third edition, (Carswell Legal Publications) and "Artists’ Contracts: Agreements for Visual and Media Artists", (CARFAC Ontario).

The first edition of "Musicians and The Law in Canada" was cited in the Michael Bishop case by the Supreme Court of Canada (1990) 31 C.P.P. 3(d) 394 S.C.C..

Paul also has numerous legal journal and periodical articles to his credit, including articles in the International Journal of Media Law and Practice, the Performing Arts Review, Queen’s Law Journal and the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers Journal.

Past Member and Co-Chair for Canada of the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers (IAEL) Canadian Executive Committee

Volunteer Work

Paul is committed to the practice of law as a profession, not just as a business. He is co-founder of ALAS (Artists’ Legal Advice Services), Canada’s first summary advice legal service which offers free legal advice for artists of all disciplines and is a director of ALAC (Artists and Lawyers for the Advancement of Creativity) which oversees the operation of ALAS.

He sits on the board of the Toronto Blues Society and has served as an advisory board member for the Music Gallery and the Humber College Music Program. Paul sat on the board of directors for the Scarborough Arts Council when it was known as Arts Scarborough.

He was a member of the Canadian executive committee of the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers and has been a member of and acted as co-ordinator of the legal executive committee for Canadian Music Week.

He has appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Taxation of Artists, made submissions to the Macauley Commission concerning arts and public education and prepared a major legal opinion for the Ontario Arts Council on film and video censorship.

He served as a volunteer adjudicator for the Scarborough Arts Council songwriting competition in its inaugural year, the Japanese Dream Audition 2006 and for the TTC Subway Musicians Auditions since 2002.